Lubricator distributor



P 1, 1943- J. lJ. I HENNESSY 43 LUBRICATOR DISTRIBUTOR Filed Oct. 17, 1945 INVENTOR JAMES JHeuwzssv Patenteci Sept. 21 1948 1 TED PAT or F l-CE -2;449,s9 v I LUBR'ICATOR ms 'rgnisoron J am'es J. Hennessy, martian, N. 1-. Application October 17, 1915',-serisl-norezasss 8 Claims. (cysts =85) Thei nvention relatesto railway journal lubrieaters of the type which utilize the longitudinal motionof the journal in the journal-box to actuate-a mechanical pump to supply lubricantirom a reservoir at the bottom of the box to the journal, preferably through a distributor adapted to spread the lubricant over a substantial area of journal. 7 I

I The structure embodying this invention includes some features described and claimed in Patent No. 2,260,520, issued to the present applicant October 28, 1941.

One object of the present invention is to facilitatethe application and removal of a dis'tributor unit extending substantial-1y the full length of the journal. when the space between the journal and the adjacentjournal box wall and pump members is restricted as is the case with an assembled A. A. B. journal and box.

Afniore particular object of the invention is tofacilitate replacement of the wipe pads onthe lubricator after removal -of the =lubricator from the=journa1 to prolong the useful life of the unit and, preferably, so that the same unit with new pads can be reinstalled on the journal in only a iewminutes, thus avoiding shipment of theuni-t to {shop and the necessity of a large number of units to maintain service.

These and other detail objects of the invention which will appear from the following description are attained by the structure illustratedin the a'c companyingdrawings, in which- I Figure 1 is a horizontal section through a railway journal box showing the journal in broken linesand fitted with-a lubricating device .embodying the present invention.

Figure '2 is a longitudinal vertical section on line 2- -2ofF*igur'e 1 through the lower part of the journal box. V

Figure 3 is a detail transverse vertical section on line 3 3 of Figure 2 showing the arrangement of the wipe pads.

The journal box I, and axle 2 with journal 3 are of the usual construction and require no detail description. The mechanical lubricator consists essentially of two units, a pump 4 and a distributor t. The pump may be as disclosedin Patent No. -2, 2.'72,199,issued to the present applicant Februaryifl, 1 942,and comprises a reciprocating piston 6 actuated through a lever l 'by the play of the axle'and journal longitudinally of the box to drawpil from the bottom of the box intoa cylinder in the pump body 8 from which it is dischargedthrough a passageway 9 to a cup-like recess in whichthere-is seatedthe spherical-lower ll) of an arm .I I- of the distributor device. II is pivoted at 1-2 to depending hinge butt elements l3-.on the upwardly facing concave plate II. A lubricant passage I9 extends through elements 9, I 1, l2, and elements l3 to ,the upper face of plate l4. Connected pivotally to one end at the upper portion o-f plate II by hinges .l5is acompanion plate t6 and both plates [4 and [6 have upstanding ribs l1 atthei-r ends disposed (to engage 'the surface of the journal. Pivotal movement of the sections relative to each-otheroutwardly away from the journal is limited by adjacent ends thereof abutting each other, as shown at .18, when the sections are in substantial alignment longitudinally of the journal. A spring 20 thrusts plate '[4 and the swinging end of arm fl] aways-em each other whereby plates Ill and 6 areheld against the journal and are pivotally supported by element III on memberfl. v

Hinged to the upper outer end of each plate I} and flilifis ashallow 'pan 2| adapted .to receive a felt fpad l3'4 having an arcuate upper face for engaging the journal. Each pan 2| has a bottom wall '22, :cut awayat 23 for the purpose described hereinafter, sidewalls 24, and end walls 25 inclined upwardly frorn the bottom wall and 'ter minatinginiinturned lips 26. When plates [4 and {Band pan '21 are in substantial longitudinal alignment, pivotal movement of the pans outwardlyaway from the journal is limited by side Walls 24 of the left-hand and right-hand pans engaging below their hinge axes, respectively,

spring 20 on arm II, and bracket 32 attached to plate I 6. This arrangement causes pads .34 -.to be pressed against the journal, together with plates and 16 bysp'ring 20.

, Eachpa'd '34 maybe made of one or more layers of felt ,positi'o'nejd side by side and held together by a c annelfrrame'zi having openings '28 therein tof'receive'tongiies 219 onsome of the pads which fitt hrough 'cut out portions 23 of pans 2|. Each pad "'34 .has its end faces '35 inclined similar to the Send walls 25 of pan 2| and these faces are recessed at 30 'to receive lips 26 narrower than the recesses to permit movement of the pads in the pans ma direction radially of the journal. A spring '31, attached to the bottom wall 22 of each pan.2l by a rivet 36, is compressed between the lowerfa'ce ofeach'channel frame 21 and bottom wall 22 of each pan 2| and urges pads 34 yielding ly against the journal, in additionf'to thepressure exerted on pads 34, and plates -HI and i6, by.spring.-2-0. Movement -0f pads 34 in,pans..2 l ina direction radially of the journal is limited, when the distributor .is removedfrom the jour- 3 nal, by lips 26 engaging pads 34 at the inner boundaries 33 of recesses 30.

Pads 34 are saturated with oil which travels longitudinally of the journal beyond the ends of plates l4 and I6 and also with oil which is lifted by capillary attraction from the bottom of the box. They provide for the wiping of surplus oil from the lead portions of the journal or for the distribution of oil to the end portions of the journal as may be required.

The hinging of pans 21 and plates 44- and I and the yielding nature of the arm l'l toward plate [-4 facilitates the insertion of the distributor through the space between the end of the journal and the bottom wall of the journal box and the upwardly curved end wall. While spring is adequate to hold the distributor elements against the journal, it is readily compressed between the fingers and thumbs of workmen when the distributor is to be inserted or removed to and from its functioning position. In practice, distributor 5 will be inserted beneath the journal before pump A is applied and, in the event of replacement, the pump will be removed before the distributor is removed.

If the bearing becomes overheated because defective, or for any other cause, the felt pads will char, and smoke discharged from the box will attract attention to the box so that the cause of the overheating may be remedied. The pads are readily replaceable, only a few minutes being required for the operation. To remove a pad 34 from a pan 21, the pump and distributor are removed from the journal, then the portion of pad adjacent a recess protruding from e D is pressed inwardly in a direction substantially parallel to lip 26, whereby the inner boundary 33 of recess 36 clears lip 26, and the pad and frame '21 are lifted from the pan. A new pad may be inserted in the frame and these may be reinstalled in the pan by reversing the procedure outlined above. The lubricator then is ready to be installed on the journal. To make repairs of this nature requires no tools and it is necessary, for emergency repairs, to carry replacement pads only instead of an entire distributor.

These elements and other elements of the invention may be varied and some features omitted entirely without affecting the essential features of the device, and the exclusive use of those modifications which come within the spirit of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a distributor device for a journal lubricator of the class described, a pan-like member having an upper face arranged to be opposed to a journal and receive and retain a quantity of lubricant and formed of two sections hinged at their adjacent ends and provided with elements arranged to abut each other as the sections swing about their hinge away from said face to limit the extent of such movement, a device for supporting said member from an underlying part of the lubricator, individual springs separately mounted in said sections, and pads of absorbent material supported in said sections by said springs.

2. In a distributor device for a journal lubricat-or of the class described, a pan-like member having an upper face arranged to be opposed to a journal and receive and retain a quantity of lubricant and formed of two sections hinged at their adjacent ends and provided with elements arranged to abut each other as the sections swing about their hinge away from said face to limit v springs, said springs and pads being supported solely by said sections.

3. In a distributor device for a journal lubricator of the class described, a pan-like member, a pad of absorbent material in said member and having a face arranged for application to a journal, the face of said ipad opposite said journal engaging face normally being spaced from an opposing wall of said member, a yielding mounting in said member urging said pad outwardly thereof, and said pad and said member having interengaging elements limiting movement of said pad outwardly of said member.

4. In a distributor device for a journal lubricator of the class described, a pan-like member, a pad of absorbent material in said member and having an upper face arranged for application to a journal, the lower face of said pad normally being spaced from the bottom of said member, and a spring seated on the bottom of said member and the lower face of said pad and urging said pad upwardly of said member, said pad and said member having interengaging elements providing for limited movement of said pad upwardly and downwardly of said member.

5. In a distributor device for a journal lubricator of the class described, a pan-like member having a wall with an inturned lip, a pad of absorbent material in said member and having a face arranged for application to a journal, a yielding mounting in said member for said pad, said pad having a lateral recess to receive said lip, said recess being deeper than said lip and the face of said pad opposite its journal engaging face normally being spaced from said member to permit movement of said pad inwardly and outwardly of said member.

6. In a distributor device for a journal lubricator of the class described, a pan-like member having an inturned lip, a pad of absorbent material in said member and having a face arranged for application to a journal, said pad having'a recess to receive said lip, said recess being deeper than said lip, a spring yieldingly engaging the face of said pad opposite the journal engaging face and holding the .pad spaced from the bottom of said member to permit movement of said pad inwardly and outwardly of said member, said lip engaging a boundary of said recess to limit movement of said pad outwardly of said member when the distributor is removed from the journal to which it is assembled, and said pad being readily distortable adjacent said recess to free said pad from said lip to facilitate its application and removal from said extension.

7. In a distributor device for a journal'lubricator .of the class described, a pan-like member having an upper face arranged for application to a journal, a pan-like extension at an end of said member and hinged thereto and provided with inturned lips, a pad of absorbent material yieldingly mounted in said extension for limited movement therein and having an upper face arranged for application to the journal, a channel-shaped frame receiving said pad, a spring compressed between the bottom of said extension and engaging the lower face of said frame and urging said frame and pad yieldingly upwardly in said extension, said pad having inclined end faces provided with recesses to'receive said lips, said recesses being spaced from the bottom of said pad a dis- REFERENCES CITED tance less than the distance of said lips from the bottom of said extension to permit movement of g i ifig gg ig are of record in the said pad upwardly and downwardly in said ext n i n 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 8. A distributor device as described in claim 6 Number Name Date wherein the pad is made of several layers of Tell: 2 132 205 Hennessy Dec 5 1939 and some layers having substantially parallel Hennessy 1941 ears extending from the bottom faces thereof and which fit snugly in openings in the frame. 10

JAS. J. HENNESSY. 

